The first lesson the next morning was Potions.
I was expecting everything to go as usual, until Malfoy entered late and tried to take his seat between Crabbe and Pansy. To my surprise, Pansy kicked up a huge fuss.
"Draco! Don't you even TRY and sit next to me! Go sit with your precious GRANGER why don't you?"
She had not even bothered to keep her shrill voice down. The entire class, both Gryffindor and Slytherin, heard her words. Dozens of heads swiveled to look at me with interest, while I tried very hard to look confused and insulted, without turning red.
Finally, Snape was the one that saved me from their gazes.
"Miss Parkinson, if you would care to keep your voice down. Mr Malfoy, there is a spare seat between-" a smirk spread across his face "-Miss Granger and Mr Longbottom. Hurry up and sit down."
My hands began to feel clammy. With Harry and Ron sitting together, this meant I would be making todays Potion paired up with Malfoy. I felt a surge of pity for Neville, who would never pass the days class without my help.
As Malfoy took his seat next to me, I felt him slip something into my robe pocket. I pretended I hadn't felt it, and watched as Snape gave the method for todays potion.
"Today we are making the Giliath potion. Can anybody tell me-"
My hand was already up but, as usual, Snape ignored me.
"-what this is used for? Mr Malfoy?"
I turned around to glare at Malfoy, who gave me his trademark smirk. No matter how often he kissed me, and no matter what he said, I knew that I would always hate that smirk.
"It's used to make plants grow faster, Professor."
"Very good. Ten points to Slytherin."
My glare deepened and, much to my annoyance, Malfoy looked like he might just start laughing.
"The method is on the board-" the ingredients and method appeared on the board behind him "-you have one period. Get to it."
As soon as people started talking and bustling to get their ingredients, Malfoy started to laugh. I frowned.
"You can stop laughing now, it wasn't that funny."
He stopped laughing and smirked at me.
"Oh, you know that it was. Your face! You looked like somebody was forcing you to eat a flobberworm when he gave Slytherin ten points!"
I stormed off to get our ingredients. At least, I thought, people wouldn't have any trouble believing we still hated each other. He could still be as insufferable as ever.
After fifteen minutes of working in silence, Neville came cautiously over.
"H-Hermione? I kind of ..."
I looked at him sympathetically, but shook my head.
"I'm sorry, Neville, Snape gets mad enough when I do most of the work in our pair but-"
"Shove off, Longbottom, we are trying to make a potion here. Don't want your butterfingers anywhere near it."
My mouth opened in outrage but Neville was the one who spoke first.
"Shut up, Malfoy! I'm sick of you trying to p-push us around!"
Apart from the stutter, I had to admit, it was quite a show of courage for Neville. It was unfortunate that Snape was standing only meters away, and heard the entire exchange.
"Ten points from Gryffindor, Longbottom, and I expect to see you after class."
Neville turned a sickening shade of green, and bustled back over to his potion. Malfoy smirked at his retreating form.
"Is it any wonder why I hated you, Malfoy?" I asked, glaring at him.
He smiled for a moment, his real smile, but soon changed it into a sneer.
"You know you love me, Granger."
The corners of my mouth lifted up, just for a second, before I busied myself cutting roots.
---
It was only during Arithmancy that afternoon that I remembered the note Malfoy had slipped into my pocket. Hoping that it hadn't been too urgent, I slowly unfolded the parchment and read the note.
Hermione,
Room of Requirement, after dinner.
- DM
My heart skipped a beat. After dinner? How was I going to get away from Harry and Ron and Ginny without being to suspicious?
I'll admit that my mind was more occupied by this dilemma than it was on Arithmancy that lesson. By the end of the lesson I decided just to tell them that I was going to the library to do some research. They couldn't really check up on me, there.
I felt horrible as the thoughts formed in my mind, and I knew that sooner or later I was going to have to tell them the truth.
---
"Leaving already?" Ginny asked me, looking confused.
"Yeah. I want to go and work on some homework in the library. I'll meet you guys in the common room at curfew, okay?"
Harry and Ron both nodded, their mouths stuffed so full of food that they couldn't speak.
One quick glance to the Slytherin table told me that Malfoy had already left, so I bustled out as fast as I could.
I was expecting everything to go as usual, until Malfoy entered late and tried to take his seat between Crabbe and Pansy. To my surprise, Pansy kicked up a huge fuss.
"Draco! Don't you even TRY and sit next to me! Go sit with your precious GRANGER why don't you?"
She had not even bothered to keep her shrill voice down. The entire class, both Gryffindor and Slytherin, heard her words. Dozens of heads swiveled to look at me with interest, while I tried very hard to look confused and insulted, without turning red.
Finally, Snape was the one that saved me from their gazes.
"Miss Parkinson, if you would care to keep your voice down. Mr Malfoy, there is a spare seat between-" a smirk spread across his face "-Miss Granger and Mr Longbottom. Hurry up and sit down."
My hands began to feel clammy. With Harry and Ron sitting together, this meant I would be making todays Potion paired up with Malfoy. I felt a surge of pity for Neville, who would never pass the days class without my help.
As Malfoy took his seat next to me, I felt him slip something into my robe pocket. I pretended I hadn't felt it, and watched as Snape gave the method for todays potion.
"Today we are making the Giliath potion. Can anybody tell me-"
My hand was already up but, as usual, Snape ignored me.
"-what this is used for? Mr Malfoy?"
I turned around to glare at Malfoy, who gave me his trademark smirk. No matter how often he kissed me, and no matter what he said, I knew that I would always hate that smirk.
"It's used to make plants grow faster, Professor."
"Very good. Ten points to Slytherin."
My glare deepened and, much to my annoyance, Malfoy looked like he might just start laughing.
"The method is on the board-" the ingredients and method appeared on the board behind him "-you have one period. Get to it."
As soon as people started talking and bustling to get their ingredients, Malfoy started to laugh. I frowned.
"You can stop laughing now, it wasn't that funny."
He stopped laughing and smirked at me.
"Oh, you know that it was. Your face! You looked like somebody was forcing you to eat a flobberworm when he gave Slytherin ten points!"
I stormed off to get our ingredients. At least, I thought, people wouldn't have any trouble believing we still hated each other. He could still be as insufferable as ever.
After fifteen minutes of working in silence, Neville came cautiously over.
"H-Hermione? I kind of ..."
I looked at him sympathetically, but shook my head.
"I'm sorry, Neville, Snape gets mad enough when I do most of the work in our pair but-"
"Shove off, Longbottom, we are trying to make a potion here. Don't want your butterfingers anywhere near it."
My mouth opened in outrage but Neville was the one who spoke first.
"Shut up, Malfoy! I'm sick of you trying to p-push us around!"
Apart from the stutter, I had to admit, it was quite a show of courage for Neville. It was unfortunate that Snape was standing only meters away, and heard the entire exchange.
"Ten points from Gryffindor, Longbottom, and I expect to see you after class."
Neville turned a sickening shade of green, and bustled back over to his potion. Malfoy smirked at his retreating form.
"Is it any wonder why I hated you, Malfoy?" I asked, glaring at him.
He smiled for a moment, his real smile, but soon changed it into a sneer.
"You know you love me, Granger."
The corners of my mouth lifted up, just for a second, before I busied myself cutting roots.
---
It was only during Arithmancy that afternoon that I remembered the note Malfoy had slipped into my pocket. Hoping that it hadn't been too urgent, I slowly unfolded the parchment and read the note.
Hermione,
Room of Requirement, after dinner.
- DM
My heart skipped a beat. After dinner? How was I going to get away from Harry and Ron and Ginny without being to suspicious?
I'll admit that my mind was more occupied by this dilemma than it was on Arithmancy that lesson. By the end of the lesson I decided just to tell them that I was going to the library to do some research. They couldn't really check up on me, there.
I felt horrible as the thoughts formed in my mind, and I knew that sooner or later I was going to have to tell them the truth.
---
"Leaving already?" Ginny asked me, looking confused.
"Yeah. I want to go and work on some homework in the library. I'll meet you guys in the common room at curfew, okay?"
Harry and Ron both nodded, their mouths stuffed so full of food that they couldn't speak.
One quick glance to the Slytherin table told me that Malfoy had already left, so I bustled out as fast as I could.